Some of you may have seen this on VFTT but for those who did not, first the Boston Globe piece:
3 hikers helped off snowy Mount Madison
May 23, 2006
THOMPSON AND MESERVE'S PURCHASE, N.H. --Rescuers hiked all night through snow to reach three Connecticut hikers stranded in a remote section of New Hampshire's White Mountains.
Fish and Game Lt. Doug Gralenski says the hikers called 911 around 10 p.m., Monday, from a trail on Mt. Madison to say they were cold, wet and worried about their safety. The hikers had been headed for a hikers' hut that was not open yet for the spring season and were too far from a second shelter to make it.
"They didn't feel they could go any further, and they felt they were at jeopardy of hypothermia," Gralenski said.
He agreed the hikers "had bitten off more than they could chew."
The hikers were identified as Prentice Tracy, 22, and Tess Cormier, 20, both of Canterbury, Conn.; and and Patrick Cartier, 19, of Moosup, Conn.
Searchers from Fish and Game and Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue reached the group around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, with warm clothes and warm drinks. They hiked down.
Gralenski said the hikers carried sleeping bags, but no tent or winter climbing gear, and were not prepared for the snow or for a night out in the elements.
He said they should have turned back sooner.
"By the time they made that decision, they had reached the point of no return," he said.
It snowed lightly during the night, with an inch or two of fresh snow on the snowpack left from winter.
Now the Union Leader:
According to Fish and Game Lt. Doug Gralenski, the three hikers — Prentice Tracy, 22, and Tess Cormier, 20, both of Canterbury, Conn., and Patrick Cartier, 19, of Moosup, Conn., had planned a hike that included staying overnight at the Appalachian Club's Madison Springs hut, which has not opened for the season.
They went up the Madison Gulf trail and by the time they reached tree line, conditions were "wintry," Gralenski said, with a couple of inches of new snow on the remaining snow pack.
About 10 p.m., Tracy called 911 and was put through to Gralenski. "They were wet and cold and feeling like they were in peril," he said. "They had hunkered down just below tree line."
They were equipped with sleeping bags, but no one carried a tent. They were in the area of the Great Gulf Wilderness, which he described as "very remote."
"They described themselves as wet, cold and exhausted," he said. "They were concerned for their safety. I was concerned that they were in over their heads and while hypothermia was not an issue at 10 p.m., I was concerned if they would make it through the night."
Three conservation officers and three members of the volunteer Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue set out at 11 p.m. and made contact with the trio just before 5 a.m.
"They were fine — they were wet and cold," Gralenski said. "(The rescue team) gave them hot drinks and dry clothes and starting walking down the mountain" via the Valley Way trail. They came off the mountain by mid-morning.
"A lot of errors were made," Gralenski said. "Their itinerary was pretty aggressive and they were planning to stay at the Madison Springs hut, which wasn't open. The trail and the conditions were such that they should have had winter climbing gear."
Officials from Fish and Game and the White Mountain National Forest warn hikers planning to hit the trails during the holiday weekend that there are winter conditions at higher elevations of the White Mountains, and the rains earlier this month have swelled brook crossing on the trails, making some of them treacherous.
"Proper planning and following safe hiking principles can help hikers reduce the chance of needing to call on rescue services to save them from harm," said Fish and Game Lt. Todd Bogardus, who also urges people to check on local weather before departing and be mindful that weather is unpredictable at higher elevations.
In addition to trail hazards, officials are also reminding people heading to the outdoors that ticks are out in large numbers, so they should wear bright clothing, tuck their trouser legs into their socks and use insect repellents that contain DEET to minimize the risk of Lyme disease, which is caused by some species of ticks.
A comprehensive guide to preparing for a hike is available at www.hikesafe.com.
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3 hikers helped off snowy Mount Madison
May 23, 2006
THOMPSON AND MESERVE'S PURCHASE, N.H. --Rescuers hiked all night through snow to reach three Connecticut hikers stranded in a remote section of New Hampshire's White Mountains.
Fish and Game Lt. Doug Gralenski says the hikers called 911 around 10 p.m., Monday, from a trail on Mt. Madison to say they were cold, wet and worried about their safety. The hikers had been headed for a hikers' hut that was not open yet for the spring season and were too far from a second shelter to make it.
"They didn't feel they could go any further, and they felt they were at jeopardy of hypothermia," Gralenski said.
He agreed the hikers "had bitten off more than they could chew."
The hikers were identified as Prentice Tracy, 22, and Tess Cormier, 20, both of Canterbury, Conn.; and and Patrick Cartier, 19, of Moosup, Conn.
Searchers from Fish and Game and Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue reached the group around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, with warm clothes and warm drinks. They hiked down.
Gralenski said the hikers carried sleeping bags, but no tent or winter climbing gear, and were not prepared for the snow or for a night out in the elements.
He said they should have turned back sooner.
"By the time they made that decision, they had reached the point of no return," he said.
It snowed lightly during the night, with an inch or two of fresh snow on the snowpack left from winter.
Now the Union Leader:
According to Fish and Game Lt. Doug Gralenski, the three hikers — Prentice Tracy, 22, and Tess Cormier, 20, both of Canterbury, Conn., and Patrick Cartier, 19, of Moosup, Conn., had planned a hike that included staying overnight at the Appalachian Club's Madison Springs hut, which has not opened for the season.
They went up the Madison Gulf trail and by the time they reached tree line, conditions were "wintry," Gralenski said, with a couple of inches of new snow on the remaining snow pack.
About 10 p.m., Tracy called 911 and was put through to Gralenski. "They were wet and cold and feeling like they were in peril," he said. "They had hunkered down just below tree line."
They were equipped with sleeping bags, but no one carried a tent. They were in the area of the Great Gulf Wilderness, which he described as "very remote."
"They described themselves as wet, cold and exhausted," he said. "They were concerned for their safety. I was concerned that they were in over their heads and while hypothermia was not an issue at 10 p.m., I was concerned if they would make it through the night."
Three conservation officers and three members of the volunteer Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue set out at 11 p.m. and made contact with the trio just before 5 a.m.
"They were fine — they were wet and cold," Gralenski said. "(The rescue team) gave them hot drinks and dry clothes and starting walking down the mountain" via the Valley Way trail. They came off the mountain by mid-morning.
"A lot of errors were made," Gralenski said. "Their itinerary was pretty aggressive and they were planning to stay at the Madison Springs hut, which wasn't open. The trail and the conditions were such that they should have had winter climbing gear."
Officials from Fish and Game and the White Mountain National Forest warn hikers planning to hit the trails during the holiday weekend that there are winter conditions at higher elevations of the White Mountains, and the rains earlier this month have swelled brook crossing on the trails, making some of them treacherous.
"Proper planning and following safe hiking principles can help hikers reduce the chance of needing to call on rescue services to save them from harm," said Fish and Game Lt. Todd Bogardus, who also urges people to check on local weather before departing and be mindful that weather is unpredictable at higher elevations.
In addition to trail hazards, officials are also reminding people heading to the outdoors that ticks are out in large numbers, so they should wear bright clothing, tuck their trouser legs into their socks and use insect repellents that contain DEET to minimize the risk of Lyme disease, which is caused by some species of ticks.
A comprehensive guide to preparing for a hike is available at www.hikesafe.com.
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